News, recommendations, and other monkey business from Harvard Square's only independent children's bookseller, Curious George Books and Toys.

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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

You don't have to take MY word for it... Curious Kid Picks #1

I grew up watching Reading Rainbow, starring LeVar Burton (AKA "Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge" on Star Trek: The Next Generation, another show my geeky childhood self was addicted to). LeVar would introduce each episode with a vignette based around a topic like nutrition, genealogy, dance, or homelessness, and present a thematic picture book which was then read and shown page by page.

THEN came my favorite part: kids my age got to recommend their own favorite relevant books. LeVar would segue into this segment by saying, "But you don't have to take my word for it..." -- a phrase as memorable as the catchy theme song. Reading Rainbow helped validate the importance and pleasure of reading for bookish little me by taking kids' opinions about books so seriously.

So, in the spirit of LeVar Burton and the soon-to-be-defunct Reading Rainbow (RIP), here's the first batch of reviews from our new Curious Kid Picks board, located in the chapter book room on the back of the yellow bench. We hope your kiddos will be inspired to read some of these titles and/or write their own reviews!

Title:Flawed Dogs – The Shocking Raid on WestminsterAuthor: Berkeley BreathedReviewed by: AbaRating: 5 bananasComments: “There are a lot of dogs and if you like dogs you’ll love it.”

Title:Chrissa Author: Mary CasanovaReviewed by: EmmaRating: 4 bananas“It was compelling and interesting. It made your mind think about whether she was doing something right or wrong. I would recommend this book to girls who love American Girl dolls.”

Title:Diary of a Wimpy KidAuthor: Jeff KinneyReviewed by: MisaComments: “It is very funny.”

Title:Where the Mountain Meets the MoonAuthor: Grace LinReviewed by: Jai-LinRating: 5 bananasComments: “It is about a girl named Minli whose dad tells her a story every night and he told one about the old man on the moon so she set off in search to find him.”

Title:Rules Author: Cynthia LordReviewed by: AnaRating: 5 bananasComments: “It taught kids about others who are different than us and that you should treat everyone the same. ☺”

Title:The WilloughbysAuthor: Lois LowryReviewed by: SamRating: 5 bananasComments: “I loved this book – different twist on kids and what they think about their parents. Excellent vocab and glossary at end – Enjoy. ☺”

Title:The Invention of Hugo Cabret Author: Brian SelznickReviewed by: SophiaRating: 5 bananasComments: “I thought that it was awesome because it made me think that I was the boy and I was in his position. And it seemed like he was sad and lonely. And he needs to survive on his own. And he finds food for himself.”

As LeVar says, see you next time -- and all you young reviewers out there, keep reading and recommending!We love to hear what you think.